Methods for 3D printing manufacture of products are known in the prior art. The use of biomaterials such as allograft tissue in 3D printers is limited by factors such as curing temperatures and the form of the raw material input.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,958 entitled “Tissue Regeneration Matrices By Solid Free-Form Fabrication Techniques” (which is incorporated by reference in its entirety) discloses methods for formulated devices for tissue regeneration using computer-aided design in combination with solid free-form fabrication technology. U.S. Pat. No. 8,843,229 entitled “Metallic Structures Having Porous Regions From Imaged Bone At Pre-Defined Anatomic Locations” (which is incorporated by reference in its entirety) discloses metallic structures with porous regions to represent the architecture of bone. Methods for imaging bone at pre-defined anatomic locations to create the implants are also disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 7,747,305 entitled “Computer-Aided Design Of Skeletal Implants” (which is incorporated by reference in its entirety) discloses methods for production of an implant for a patient prior to an operation.
A need remains for a facile method of generating biomaterial-based products with retained biological activity and retained physical properties for subsequent patient implantation.